Il leone di San Marco

Set in Venice, around 1620, a group of Skokian pirates invade a nightly ball where the Doge's son, Manrico (Gordon Scott) is engaged with a Lady, and after stealing the guests' jewellery, Manrico makes a vow to stamp out these pillaging pirates from terrorising Venice and dons a mask to become the leader of St. Mark ( the symbol of Venice), however, during this, he falls in love with a pirate (Giana Maria Canale), which poses a problem as his father wouldn't approve of this union.

Gordon Scott dons in flamboyant costume and tights and rattles a fair sabre ( well, epee) as the hero, though it's baffling why his likeminded group of saviours didn't don a mask too, but that's overthinking, and with a vibrant film punctuated with so much action - sword fighting galore- it's best just to relax and enjoy this pulp matinee style swashbuckler for what it is. Good escapism.

The production is really good, there's opulent sets, great costumes, ballroom dances and the grand view of Venice, it's canals and it's ornately gaudy gondoliers. The latter lends an authenticity to the proceedings.

Gordon Scott cuts (quite literally) a fine dash as the hero, coming across as sincere, and Gian Maria Canale acts well as the lady pirate who is willing to change her ways for love. Ah, the perils and fortunes of romance!